Los Angeles Galaxy Transfer Omar Gonzalez To CF Pachuca

#4 Omar Gonzalez of LA Galaxy during the MLS match between Los Angeles Galaxy and New York City FC at StubHub Center on August 23, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. August 23, 2015| Credit: Matthew Ashton - AMA

The Omar Gonzalez era at Bruce Arena‘s Los Angeles Galaxy is over. This week, the Galaxy transferred Gonzalez to Liga MX side CF Pachuca. Gonzalez made 205 appearances over seven seasons with the Galaxy after being selected third overall in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. From MLSSoccer.com…

During his time with the Galaxy, he was part of three MLS Cup-winning teams (2011, 2012, 2014), has been selected to four MLS Best XIs (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014) and won two individual awards: the 2009 MLS Rookie of the Year and 2011 Defender of the Year. In addition to his defensive contributions, Gonzalez added 12 goals and 10 assists in regular-season play, plus two goals and two assists in the playoffs.

“We thank Omar for his contribution and dedication to this club throughout the past seven years,” said Arena in a team release. “We wish Omar the best of luck with Pachuca.”

“I’m extremely thankful that soccer gave me the opportunity to play for you and the city of Los Angeles,” Gonzalez said in an open letter to all Galaxy fans. “Since moving here as a 20-year-old, you have made me feel extremely welcome and because of your generosity, I am proud to call LA my second home. I am thankful to this club, Bruce Arena, Chris Klein and my teammates for all of their support while here in Los Angeles.

“Leaving is never easy and change can be difficult. However, this is an opportunity for me to continue to grow as a player and as a person. I will always be a part of the LA Galaxy and this club and you all will always be a part of me.”

“This is part of sports; it is part of the world that we live in. We’re transferring Omar to Pachuca, and at the end of it, we made a decision, and Omar made a decision that was best for him and our club,” Klein told LAGalaxy.com’s Adam Serrano. “Omar has meant and will always mean a tremendous amount to the Galaxy, both to our club and our fans. Any way that you slice it, this is going to be bittersweet for us because we all love Omar.”

“In saying that, though, this positions us to go out and do some things. Bruce and his group have been working hard to do that. We know that we need to shore up that [center back] position, and it gives us some resources to go out and shore up not only this position but others as well.”

Jo-Ryan Salazar is a writer for The Stoppage Time, a soccer blog powered by Azteca Soccer. A supporter of the Los Angeles Galaxy since 1996 and a committed supporter since 2002, Jo-Ryan also follows Chelsea FC, Melbourne Victory, FC Tokyo and Paris Saint-Germain. Apart from soccer, Jo-Ryan is an administrative assistant for a local nonprofit in Long Beach, California and also does photography, photo-editing and fictional writing.